Chardon Tomorrow’s fourth annual WinterFest celebration will blast off the evening of Jan. 17 with an exciting fire and ice display on Chardon Square.
The program, which begins at 6 p.m., includes flames shooting out of the top of an ice tower with a hollow center, Chardon Tomorrow President Steve Turpin said last Friday.
The fire and ice display will last between 45 minutes and an hour and has proven to be a crowd-pleaser at other events, he said.
Supplied by Elegant Ice Creations, the tower and performance will light up the square northeast of the Main Street clock and there will be plenty of benches with good views of the display, Turpin said.
“This is the next phase of expanding the WinterFest foot print,” he said.
Last year, the organization added carriage rides around the square with the beautiful Big Sky Clydesdales doing the honors, Turpin said.
The year before, the snowmen and snowmobiles were included in the program.
“Plans for WinterFest 2015 are already in the works,” but pulling in the fire and ice display is a definite coup, Turpin said.
Those who want to get an early start Jan. 18 should come hungry and enjoy an all-you-can eat pancake breakfast at Pilgrim Christian Church on the Square from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Price is $9 for adults, $5 for children under 10 and includes pancakes with locally made maple syrup, sausage, orange juice and coffee, according to the events agenda.
From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. families can enjoy a wagon ride behind the Big Sky Clydesdales, meet the members of the Siberian husky dog sled team, enjoy the ice sculptures created by Elegant Ice Creations and stay warm around outside fire pits.
Throughout the day, hot chocolate and cookies will be available in the log cabin.
Other inside activities include raffles, face tattooing and a display from the festival’s sponsor, University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center.
Another returning feature of the festival is the popular snowman-guessing contest. Beginning Jan. 4, wooden snowmen painted by Chardon High School students will appear around the Square, Turpin said.
In the past, contestants guessed which business sponsored which snowman based on how it was decorated. This year’s contest has a new twist, he said.
The sponsor’s names will be written on the snowman, but there will be a hidden element, such as a maple leaf, in the snowman’s design. Participants will have to find which element belongs to which snowman to be eligible for a prize, Turpin said.
Other games on the square include snow tag — which takes place inside a snow maze — snow putting, snow bowling, snow angels, snow shoes and snow snakes provided by the Geauga Park District.
“Restaurants are being encouraged to offer a Fire and Ice special,” Turpin said.
State Rep. John Patterson (D-Jefferson) will provide opening remarks along with city officials and members of Chardon Tomorrow, the organizers of WinterFest.
For more information, visit chardontomorrow.org or email info@chardontomorrow.org.